Voltage and current regulation



VOLTAGE AND CURRENT EGULATION wed July 25, w55 2 sheeisheet 1 N VEN TOR. Ji' L. JENSEN BY f if! ,f

Jim. 3, 1957 J. L.. JENSN 2,7?5382 voLTAGE AND CURRENT REGULATION Filed July 25, 1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 1N VEN TOR. JAMES Lw JNSEN BY fwf w rzrssurn B Juri' Lin, 1.959 nnenjrl VOLTAGE ANH CURRENE liEilL/LTN .itunes Lee Jensen, St. Louis iarit, niinn., nssignor to Mnneapolis-eloueyweil Regulator Company, Minne npolis, Minn., n corporzition oi eluwarc Application .lluiy 2S, i955, Scr'ini No.. Sihtt Ml Claims. (Ci. B''WQ!) This invention relates to new and improved transistor circuitry for electronic regulation of voltage and current. Numerous circuits have been proposed und tried in the eld ot' electronic voltage regulation, many of them being o a series regulator type, having an electron tlischarge tube or transistor connected in series with the voltage source :ind conrolled by the output voltage, to act ns a variable impedance in the supply lead to the load, thereby maintaining a conste-.nt voltage across the load device. ln the ahove method of regulation an sppreciuble amount oi. power may dissipated in the reguhating device thus reducing the eiiiciency oi tl e apport-nus and requiring means to remove the heat being generated in the ,regulating device, in my invention the regulating transistor is operated as :t switch, rztther than us u variable impedance, the lutter o i common in the nrt, By my method n minimum aniount of power is iost in the regulating apparatus.

An object of invention is to provide :in improved voltage regulator apparatus by the 'use of novel transistor circuitry.

Another object of the invention is to provide n transistor voltage rer; tutor circuit which utilizes switching principles to increesc limits und eticiency ci transistor operation us a current control device.

These and other objects of the invention will be understood upon consideration oi the accompanying specifica tion, claims and drawins of which:

Figures l to 4 are embodiments of the invention shot-vn in schematic form, and disclose circuits utilizing transistors 1.o produce a regulated output potentiel,

Figure 5 is typi al characteristic plot of a power transistor collector electrode characteristic.

FlGURE i Referring novv to Figure l there is shown a pair of input terminals it? und ill connected to a source of unregulated potential, not shown. The negative terminati i? is connected 'ny means of n conductor .i2 to the lower terminal ot' o. .loud device i3, here shown a resistance. A junction power transistor Ml shown as n PNP transistor, comprising fr *oase electrode i5, an emitter electrode la? und o collecior electrode i7. hue its emitter Elo conu nected to the positive int` it terminal it). Collector elec rode i7 of transistor i@ is connected to the input terminal 25 of a. conventional type filter 2i, comprising a series cholre 22 und a capacitor 2.3 connected in shunt. An output terminal 2'6 of the filter is connected to the upper terminal or' loud 13 by n conductor 3%. "thus current path muy be traced from positive terminal it) through the truniistor li from emitter to collectorx through filter 2i, conductor 36, load i3 and conductor i2 boeit to negative input terminal li.

The base electrode i5 of transistor M is connected to emitter electrode 32 of a junction transistor 3i. Transistor 3l also includes a buse electrode 33 and a collector 34, Collector 34 is connected through n resistor 3u to the conductor l! at u junction 35. Base electrode 153 is connected to the conductor l2 at :t junction 37 through a zener diode titl, a conductor el, and a resistor 4Z.

A junction transistor Q5 has a base electrode 46 a collector electrode 47, and an emitter electrode 48. Collector' electrode 47 is connected by a conductor 44 to a junction 43 on conductor il which connects diode 40 to resistor 42. Emitter 48 is directly connected to a june tionSG on conductor Bil and base electrode 46 is connected to a voltage reference Si, shown as a battery. The opposite terminal of the reference battery is com nected to conductor i2 at a junction S2. Reference S1 may also be in the form of a Zener diode or other suitable voltage reference.

Operation of Figure I The operation of Figure l will become apparent upon consideration of the following discussion. It is desired to maintain a regt-tinted i C. potential across the load device i3. An unreguintcd source or potential is applied across terminal litantl ii.. Let us assunte for purposes of explanation that the pot ntinl existing across load 13 is .slightly louer than the ci=`ireti regulating potential and that transistor l is in a stole of conduction which tends to increase the output potential. Under these conditions trunsistor 3i is :tlf-.o conducting and transistor i5 is cutoff. ln Figure l the output potential is controlled by the: magnitude of reference potenti-nl 5l, ns will be explcineti. `With transistor 152 conducting the output potential continues to rise until it is approximately equal to the reference potential 5l. At this point base current begins to flow in transistor i5 and thereby allows current to flow in the collector circuit, and through resistor i2 to the negative conductor 12.

The reference Si. may be e. Zener diode (not shown) or the like so that no brise current iiows in the. transistor 45 until the output potential erect-ds the Zener breakdown voltage, at which time current flows from the positive output conductor 30, emitter i8 to base 46, and through the Zener diode to negative output conductor 12, thereby causing transistor 45 to conduct.

During the. time transistor i5 is maintained at cutoff substantially no collector current Hows ano'. therefore the potential drop across resistor' i2 due to the collector current is essentially Zero. A circuit ntoy be traced from thc input terminal iii to emitter lo of transistor i4, to hase i5, to emitter 32l of transistor 31, to base 33, to Zener diode titi, conductor ffii, resistor 43, to conductor i2 at junction 37. Another path muy also be traced from emitter 3F. of transistor 3i, to collector 34, and through et resistor 56 to the conductor 12 at junction 35. in order for switching transistor llt to be conducting it is necessary for transistor 3l to be conductive also, as transistor Sil controls the base current of transistor M. The potential drop from emitter i6 of transistor M to the base 33 of transistor 3i is relatively srnnll since the emitter to base diodes of the transistors present a relatively low impedance to currents ilowing in the forward direction through the diodes. The base current of trftnsistor 3i is blocked, however, by the Zener diode lll unless the Zener voltage is exceeded so that the diode conducts. As was previously stated, when transistor "i5 is cutoll. the voltage drop across resistor si?. is very small so that the potential on conductor ii connecting to diode 4i) approaches that on conductor i2. Also :is previously noted, the'potentiui drop between input tcrrninul l0 and base electrode 3? is relatively small so that a large percentage of the input voltage appears across Zener diode {if} to exceed its zen-er breakdown potential and render it conductive, thereby allowing transistors 3l and 14 to be conductive.

As previously stated, when transistor Us conducts, the regulated output potential continues to rise until transistor 45 commences to conduct current. The collector current of transistor 4S flowing through resistor 42 causes a substantial potential drop across' the resistor' which is sufficient to decrease tht` potential across Zener diode 40 to a value below the '.tener potential required to maintain conduction. Jl/'ith Zener diode dit no longer conducting, no buse current flows in transistor 3l which then becomes noncontiuctive. The nonconduction of transistor 3l also cuts olf transistor 14, lf desired the amplifier transistor 3l may he eliminated and the hase electrode 15 ot transistor le can he connected directly to Zener diode dll).

The filter 21 which has stored up energy during the conduction of transistor l now supplies the energy to the load. Diode 24 is a protective device to prevent voltage transients of inductance 22 from damaging trunsistor X4.

As the energy level of the filter falls and the output potentiell loegins to drop. the emitter lf3 of transistor l5 tends to become negative with respect to the base 16 und transistor 4&1 becomes again non/conducting. The potential drop across the resistor '-lr' due to the conduction of transistor 45 disappears und there is again sutcient potential cross dinde 45t to exceed the Zener breil:- down allowing trnnsistt-rs 16 and 3l to again conduct, repeating the cycle.

The circuit of FigurtA l allows a relatively large current to be controlled while limiting to :t minimum the power expended in the controlling device. it is noted that in my intention tite trnnsistcr icl is operated a switch. 'ocir r cutoft' durinfY a portion of the cycle :tn-.l ntitzily as :t .ro imredunce during the ng portion of the cycle. The amount of control d varies the percentage on. ie or" transistor le. typict collector hsructeristlc for n Honeywell ZNS?" pov/er transistor which has been used fully `for transistor -l. The maximum allowable collector voltage for n ZNS? is 60 volts and the r^ 'mum ullo\=.nole collector current is t ampere. A 6r? onm re- .re load line lifts been drown in F 'ture 5 which passes oug'n limits. A dotted liz-,c been sketched in Figure to View the operating point ut which maximum power is di rsipated within the transistor. Th

point resulting e l5 v tts of t the transistor, predou icollcctor junction.

30 volts pone' being` dtsiputed nfrntly in the r tance c .afi li is a pointer lint prcdornit y a function of the nhiirt'; 'neat generated lin the transistor. A een sketch-ftd in 5 wich Slitovfs il trac isior watts for u tempera- 7 it c For :t

tot' can a lou,y collector voltage. or e 'F5 transistor. safely operate at a ly low coli ctor current together with collector cote' tial. since near the exud line poser dissipation limit is my invention this pri. .iple is utilized; 'sior operating subs .lly all ot' the time in o rthe loef?. line consequently' c cont-oiled with very low te vroes leur therefore that my invention which poner transistor irl es a switch permits the control of t much larger :unou t oi power than is poslnic i". an conventional regcntor. l r example, let in assume we are usi a 2t`-i57 power trunsistor tor il, and are operating :at the limits preliti would also be limited to a relatively small value cornpared to the 60 watts previously discussed.

FIGURE 2 The circuit of Figure 2 is in most respects identical to Figure l and operates substantially in the same manner as described for Figure l. Figure 1 is basically a sirnplied form of Figure 2 and the same numbers are used in Figure 2 where the components are identical to Figure l. in Figure 2 a diode 6G is connected in parallel with the emitter-buse junction of the transistor 3l. The diede 6@ is connected so tiutt the direction of easy current ilow of the diode is opposite to the forward direction ot the emitter-buse junction diode of transistor 3l. A capacitor 63 is connected in parallel with the Zener diode riti.

ln the operation of Figure 2, similar to the operation previously explained, when the output potential is low transistor l5 is cutotl and transistors .i4 and 3l are conducting. Capacitor 53 clorges to the Zener breakdown potential of diode all As the output potential of the regulator rises transistor becomes conductive und the collector current tirnving through resistor l2 causes an increased potential drop across the resistor, iunction 43 thereby becoming substantially more positive. With junction 43 more positive the potential charge on capncitor 63 drives base electrode 33 ci transistor l positive with respect to its emitter thus actually injecting current into the brise to cut the transistor of? sharply. Junction 6.2 between diode und 33 is also driven positive with respect to input tenui el lll oecttusc cur rent also ilows from capacitor lt through diode 6@ and t-l. Forcing current into into the base l5 ol' transistor t base 15 has the effect or` cutting oit transistor 14 more sharply to decrease to minimum the time required t0 su ich from a cor; on or' conduction to cutoff. lf it is lesirablo transistor 31 and diode Sil may oe eliminated and base electrode t5 be connected directly to capacitor and Zener diode ritt.

FIGURE 3 Figure 3 is a modification of Figure l und one of the mein differences is in the use of parallel resistorcnnncitor combination between the base 33 ot transistor and the junction 43, The resistor 7l) and the capacitor 63 are chosen to provide r1 desired time constant For the input signal ro transistor 3l. Another difterenc: is that emitter electrode of trs sister 45 is connected to n tviper '7l of a potentiometer 72. The potentiometer '72 is connected across the output conductors 30 and at junctions 73 and 7l respectively. A diode 7S connected between the collector 'i'' of transistor [t5 and collector load resistor lli.

'he operation of Figure 3 is in some respects different from that or' Figures l and 2. The connection of emitter electrode ttl to the wiper "il of potentiometer 72 provide for regulation of output potentials larger than the reference 5l. This is possible since wiper 71 can be adjusted to pick ofi any portion of the output poten-.tial und compare it against the reference voltage to control the regulator. Another difference in the opertation of Figure 3 is that it is constructed so that transistors Sli and may be cut ot for a limited time which is determined by the RC constant of resistor 70 and cape. tot' 53 in the input circuit to tra ..istor 31.

Let; us assume the operating conditions when transistors lil and are conductive so that the output potentinl to the load "i3 is rising, When the potential on wiper is approx? tutcly equal to the reference 51, transistor l5 commences conductingI and e substantially large potentiel drop appears across resistor l2 due to the collector current tlowing therethrough. This positive going potential change is applied through capacitor rift to thciasc 33 of trf sistor 3l thereby driving the transistor 3l into cutoif and thereby also cutting ofi transistor ifi. Transistor 3l is maintained cutoff until transistor 45 again becomes nouconductive due to .a de crease in the output potential. The time constant o the combination of resistor Iii and capacitor d3 is chosen to be long compared with the normal fall ot the output potential which is determined by capacitor 23 and load 13. rlhis is to .prevent ,instability of the control which would result if capacitor d3 were to discharge suiiioientiy to allow transistor 3i to come on before transistor dii ceased conducting.

Figure 3ft is a modification of Figure 3 to provide current. regulation for the circuit of Figure 3. rl`he circuit of Figure 3a is connected to terminals n, b, and c of Figure 3 in place of the voltage reference circuit when it is desired to provide current regulation. A resistor 76 is connected in series with conductor 3d between junction 50 and the load device i3. The reference 5l connects the 'oase electrode d6 to :i terminal "'i? between resistor 76 and load device i3. Resistor "id or reference 51 may oe of variable magnitude if desirable. in operation transistor d5 remains cutol untii the current ,flowing to the load i3 increases sufficiently to cause a potential drop across resistor lo equal to the reference potential. At this time transistor d5 commences to conduct cutting ott transistors ld and fill as previously described.

Figure 3b shows an alternate voltage reference circuit for use with Figure 3. rihe hase electrode do is connected through thc reference Sli to the wiper 'il of potentiometer 72 rather than the emitter to wiper il as in Figure 3. This has the advantage of maintaining emitter dit' at the potential on conductor Bti and assures that the potential at collector d'7 can under all operating conditions rise sufficiently to cut ott transistor 33t.

Figure 4 is another modification of the regulator und again the saine identifying nurnerais uses.' es were used in the ,orc 'ding .figures where the components are the same. This circuit includes an additional transistor titl having; :i :ollector electrode iii., hase electrode and un emitter electrode. 63 The circuit is in many re spccts similar to Figures l and 3 and the explanation of components und conncctions need not be repeated for the like partsn Emitter ell `trede of transistor llt?! is connected to eolie-tor electrode d? of transistor dri Collector electrode is connected to the conductor i2 at iunction 3? through the resistor fili. 'Ehe base niec trede 82 is connected through a paralisi connected resister 2, and c. cupac' or e5, and through a conductor liti to a junction 37 bt. Ween the collector di of trau sister 3i and the resistor Zio. The hase electrode nnected through parallel connected resistor iii and con raser all: and a conductor d to junction d3 he tween collector and resistor in operation ot l-'zgure 4 the transistors :il titl @Prate a free running; n'tultivihrator. 'When tranis conductive transistor 1&5 is also conductive so that current is lic/wing into the output circuit from the source terminalsa The buse current Sewing out of transistor 3i. d clous a potential drop across resistor i'tl and capacitor is cha ged. When transistor .iii he gins condor g the potential at junction becomes much more t iiive due to the potential drop across resistor 3:3 resulting from the increased collector current. This charge in potential biases transistor to ctt-toit'. As capacitor 35 discharges the potential on the hase -2 is no longer suticicnt to maintain transistor @lli cutoff and it begins to conduct current, dcveioping; an iR rop across resistor ill to drive transistor El into cutoiit. Transistor 3l remains cutoff until capacitor discharges sufficiently or until the emitter' current to transistor till? is interrupted, as will loe explained,

Transistor Se can only conduct when transistor dfi is erases also conductive. As was previously explained, transistor i5 may conduct Whenever the output potential exceeds the reference potentialD Let us assume first a condition where the output potential has dropped sufficiently to cut oft transistor d5. Transistor 8G is now no longer supplied emitter current and therefore is com ducting no current. Transistors 3i and i4 are conductive and the output potential rises, As soon as tronsistor i5 becomes conductive transistor till also conducts currcntrfend the multivibrator operates as such, alternately switching transistor iti from a conductive to u nouconductive state. rlfhe proportion of on time-ot time of transistor lid can be controlled by a choice of values for the RC values in the hase circuits of transistors 3l and EN, The natural period of `v-oft-time for transistor 3l may he shortened if the output potential falls, cutting ofi transistor 4S, during this period.

In general while I have shown certain speciiic cmhodiments of my invention, it is to he understood that this is for the purpose of illustration and that my invention is to be limited solely 'by the scope of the appended ciairns.

l claim as my invention:

i. Regulating means for supplying current from an unregulated source to a load device comprising: tirst and second transistors each having a plurality of electrOdes inciuding a base, a coiector, and an emitter, said collector and emitter electrodes of said first transistor comprising the output electrodes of said rst transistor; circuit means including said output electrodes interconnecting the output termnais of said source und the in put terminals of said load device; means connecting the emitter of said second transistor to one of said load terminals; voltage reference means; means connecting4 said voltage reference means from the hase of said second transistor to the other of said load terminals; potential producing means energizable to produce a potential; means connecting the collector of said second transistor through said potential producingl means to said other load terminal so that upon conduction of said sec ond transistor said potentiai producing means is ener gized; impedance means; means connecting said irnpedsnce means to the hase of said tirst transistor in cur rent controlling relation thereto, and to said potential producing means, so that upon energization or said po tential producing means said impedance means cuts off the conduction of said iirst transistor.

2l Regulating moans for supplying current from an unregulated source to a load device comprising; transistor means having plurality of electrodes including a collector, an emitter, und n base, said collector and emitter eiectrodes comprising transistor output electrodes; circuit means including stud output electrodes interconnecting the output terminals of said source and the input terminals of said loud device; voltage reference means; current controlling means energizahle to conduct current therethrough; potential producing means encrgizahle to produce a potential; means connecting said current controlling means und said potential producing means in series across said load terminals, 'whereby the conduction of: said current controlling menus resuits in the cncrgization oi said potential producing means; means connecting said voltage reference source to said current controlling means in controiling re .ion thereto so that the current controlling means is maintfined cutoff until the potential across said load device exceeds a predetermined value; inipedance means; means connecting said impedance means to the bese of said transistor means und to said potential producing means, so that the conduction oi said transistor means is cuto upon energization of said potential producing means..

3. Voltage regulator means for supplying current from a current source to a load device comprising; first, second, and third transistors each having a plurality of electrodes including a base, a collector, and an emitter,

arrastra Zener diode means from the 'oase electrode of said first transistor to the collector electrode of said second transistor.

10. Regulating means for supplying current from a current source to a load device comprising; rst and second transistors each having a plurality of electrodes including a, base. a collector, and an emitter; means connecting the emitter of said first transistor to the positive terminal of said source; means connecting the collector of said irst transistor to a first terminal of said load; means connecting the second terminal of said load to the negative terminal of said, source; means connecting; the emitter or said second transistor to the first terminal of said toad device; voltage reference means; means connecting said voltage reference means between time base of said second transistor and the second terminal of said load; impedance means connected between the collector of said second transistor and the second terminal of said load; Zener diode means; means connecting said zener diode means from the oase of said irst transistor to the collector of said second transistor.

i1. Voltage regulator' apparatus coingiising; input means including terminals to be connected to a source of unregulated direct current potential; output terminals connected to load means requiring a regulated potential; first transistor means having its output terrninas conI nested in series with one of said input terminals; second lil transistor means; reference potential means; circuit means connecting said. second transistor means to said reference means and said output terminals sucn that said second transistor means becomes conductive upon the regulated output potential exceeding said reference potential; and further circuit means connecting said first transistor means to said second transistor means; said further circuit means switching said first transistor to a nonconductive state upon the conduction of said second transistor.

l2, Voltage regulator apparatus comprising; an input circuit including a pair of terminals to be connected to a source of unregulated potential; transistor switch means connected to said input circuit; electrical filter means connected to the output of said transistor switch rneans; output means connected to said filter means; potential reference means; transistor control means; circuit means connecting said transistor control means to compare the potential across said output means with said potential reference means; further circuit means connecting said transistor control means current controlling relation to said transistor switch means7 so that said transistor control means controls tile operation of said transistor switch means in response to the relation of said output potential and said reference potential.

No references cited. 

